Others have recognized and addressed the need to enhance the visibility of a person floating in water. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,956 to Chraghchian et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,264 to Melendez et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,856 to Oberg. Each of these patents is primarily concerned with the risk of injury to water skiers when they are down in the water, as opposed to up on the water. However, the need for enhanced visibility in the water is of a more general nature, and water skiing is simply one well recognized application for such inventions. For example, another application for such devices is to enhance the visibility of children swimming at crowded places, such as public beaches.
Each of the above-identified patents helps to signal the location of a person floating in water, but none discloses a signal device that is relatively simple in construction, relatively easy to secure to a conventional flotation device, and relatively comfortable in use. One particular problem that is common to all of the known devices is the discomfort caused by the location of the tube/mast/staff directly behind the skier's spine and head. Another common problem is the discomfort and potential for injury due to the relatively hard, rigid composition of the tube/mast/staff.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved signal device for enhancing the visibility of a person floating in water.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a signal device that is safe and comfortable in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a signal device that is simple in construction and cost effective to manufacture and distribute.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a signal device that is easily secured to a wide range of conventional flotation devices and reliable in use.
Additional objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description that follows.